Shelf including a cold storage material therein, and refrigerator having the same

ABSTRACT

A shelf includes a cold storage material, a main shelf body having a space, configured to store the cold storage material therein, and one or more bracket(s) at a lower end portion of the main shelf body, configured to support the main shelf body. A refrigerator includes a main body having a storage chamber, a door rotatably coupled to the main body, and the shelf including the same.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is based on and claims priority from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2013-0136332, filed on Nov. 11, 2013, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a shelf and a refrigerator comprising the same, and more particularly, to a shelf including a cold storage material therein, and a refrigerator comprising the same.

BACKGROUND

In general, a refrigerator is an apparatus capable of storing goods and maintaining freshness for a period time by cold air supplied into a storage chamber. The cold air supplied into the storage chamber is generated by heat exchange using a refrigerant. The cold air supplied into the storage chamber is evenly transferred throughout the storage chamber by convection, so that the storage chamber may store food at a desired temperature.

The storage chamber may be divided into a refrigerator chamber and a freezer, according to the internal temperature and the usage. The freezer stores food at a temperature below zero ° C., and may include a cold storage material in order to improve the cooling efficiency.

The cold storage material is in a sealed pack and is in a door or in an ice making machine of the freezer. When the pack surrounding the cold storage material is damaged, food may be exposed to the cold storage material and become or contaminated or damaged. When the cold storage material changes from liquid to solid and its volume changes, a surface of a cold storage pack may be deformed. As a result, an area that may contact food increases, and thus the cooling efficiency may decrease. The cold storage material of the related art has a small area compared to the volume of the storage chamber, and thus, effect of the cold air preservative performance necessarily be incomplete.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure has been made in an effort to provide a shelf having a cold storage material therein, configured to increase cold storage efficiency and/or capacity when the refrigerator is operating. In addition, the shelf having the cold storage material may discharge cold air and/or absorb thermal energy when the refrigerator is not operating due to power failure, or when an internal temperature of the refrigerator increases due to frequent opening and closing of the door. The present disclosure also relates to a refrigerator including the same.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a shelf comprising a main shelf body having a space inside configured to store a cold storage material; and a bracket at, in, or on a lower end portion of the main shelf body, configured to support the main shelf body.

The shelf may further comprise a plurality of recesses on an upper surface of the main shelf body.

The shelf may further comprise a coupling member configured to couple or attach the main shelf to with the bracket.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a refrigerator comprising the shelf.

According to the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, the shelf having a cold storage material therein may store cold and/or have a relatively large heat transfer capacity when a refrigerator is operating. In addition, the shelf having the cold storage material may discharge cold air and/or absorb or receive thermal energy when the refrigerator is not operating due to power failure or the like. As a result, it is possible to maintain a temperature of the refrigerator (e.g., suitable for maintaining freshness of the food stored therein for a relatively long period of time), thereby efficiently maintaining an optimum or target cooling temperature.

According to the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, an area of the cold storage material is larger than the conventional cold storage material pack, thereby achieving excellent cold air preservation, and efficiently utilizing refrigerator space.

The foregoing summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments, and features described above, further aspects, embodiments, and features will become apparent by reference to the drawings and the following detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an exemplary shelf according to the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the exemplary shelf according to the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating an exemplary configuration of a refrigerator according to the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating an exemplary configuration of a refrigerator according to the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof. The illustrative embodiments described in the detailed description, drawings, and claims are not meant to be limiting. Other embodiments may be utilized, and other changes may be made, without departing from the spirit or scope of the subject matter presented here.

Hereinafter, one or more exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art may easily carry out the present disclosure. The present disclosure may be implemented in various different ways, and is not limited to the exemplary embodiment(s) described herein.

It should be noted that the drawings are schematically provided and not necessarily to scale. The relative dimensions and ratios of the parts illustrated in the drawings may be exaggerated or reduced in size for clarity and convenience in the drawings, and the dimensions are only examples without limitation. The same structures, components, or elements shown in two or more drawings are given the same reference numerals to show the same or similar features.

Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure show ideal examples of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the exemplary embodiments shown in the drawings are expected to be changed in various ways. Therefore, the exemplary embodiments are not limited to specific configurations in the drawings, and may be changed to have various shapes and/or arrangements by manufacturing.

In general, food stored in a refrigerator is cooled by cold air generated from an evaporator. The cold air supplied into the storage chamber is evenly transferred into the storage chamber by convection to cool food. However, the cooling process of food by cold air may not be done at a fast speed. Accordingly, an objective of the present disclosure is to provide a shelf having a cold storage material therein, so when food (or a container containing food) contacts the shelf, the efficiency and/or duration of cooling the food stored in the refrigerator may improve.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a shelf 10 according to the present disclosure comprises a cold storage material 11, a main shelf body having a space configured to store the cold storage material 11 therein, and a bracket 13 at a lower end portion of the main shelf body 12, configured to support the main shelf body 12.

In the present disclosure, the cold storage material 11 fills the main shelf body 12, and serves to preserve cold air and/or absorb or receive thermal energy from the surrounding environment (e.g., the cold storage chamber of the refrigerator).

The cold storage material 11 may be a material which is in a liquid state at room temperature and optionally at temperature down to about ° C. or less, but that is capable of changing phase to a solid state at a freezing temperature (e.g., the temperature of the freezer, which may be about −15° C. to −20° C. or less). A volume of the cold storage material 11 may increase or decrease when the phase changes from liquid to solid or from solid to liquid, but preferably the change in volume resulting from a change in phase is minimal, or substantially zero.

The cold storage material 11 is known to one skilled in the art, and may include water, a mixture of water and a phase change material (PCM), or an aqueous solution (e.g., of a PCM that is soluble in water). For example, a cold storage material having a large thermal capacity may be formed by mixing water and polyethylene glycol, which can be cooled to a temperature of from 0° C. to −10° C. for use in a refrigerator. Alternatively, the cold storage material 11 may include one or more fatty acids such as a vegetable oil; other glycols such as ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, and oligomers thereof; and salt solutions such as aqueous copper sulfate, aqueous sodium carbonate, aqueous sodium sulfate, aqueous magnesium sulfate, aqueous potassium bicarbonate, aqueous potassium chloride, aqueous sodium chloride, etc., where the salt is present in an amount generally <0.5 wt. % of the solution. Such cold storage materials may gradually discharge cold air and/or absorb thermal energy in a room temperature environment.

Accordingly, the cold storage material 11 inside the shelf may accumulate cold discharged from the refrigerant and/or transfer heat to the cold storage chamber of the refrigerator during the operation of the refrigerator. When a temperature within the refrigerator increases due to power failure or frequent opening and closing of the refrigerator and/or freezer door(s), the cold storage material 11 may discharge the cold and/or absorb thermal energy to maintain the temperature within the refrigerator.

In the present disclosure, the main shelf body 12 may have a substantially planar upper surface, and food or the like may be placed on an upper surface of the main shelf body 12. The shelf body 12 may have a width of from 40 to 100 cm, a length of from 20 to 80 cm and a thickness of from 1 to 5 cm, for example, but is not limited to such dimensions.

The main shelf body 12 of the present disclosure has a space inside for storing the cold storage material 11.

The material of the main shelf body 12 is not particularly limited. However, the main shelf body 12 may comprise a plastic material having relatively high durability, thus being capable of stably supporting food on the shelf. Alternatively, the main shelf body 12 may comprise a metal having good coefficient of thermal conductivity, and good strength, and combination thereof.

When the material of the main shelf body comprises a plastic material and the weight thereon exceeds the maximum weight supportable by the plastic material, the main shelf body may bend or collapse due to the weight of the food thereon. Accordingly, the shelf of the present disclosure is stably secured by inserting a bracket 13 at one or more lower end portions of the main shelf body. The lower end portion of the shelf body 12 may refer to a peripheral region on the underside of the shelf body 12, at or near opposed side walls of the shelf body 12.

The bracket 13 is coupled or attached to the shelf 10 using one or more coupling members (e.g., an adhesive, a flange or other projection holding the bracket 13 in place, a nut-and-bolt combination, a screw, etc.), thereby firmly supporting the shelf. A structure of the bracket 13 may be modified, as may the mechanism by which the bracket 13 may be firmly coupled or attached to the shelf using the coupling member(s).

The shelf 10 according to the present disclosure may further include a plurality of recesses 14 in the upper surface of the main shelf body 12. The shelf 10 for the freezer includes the plurality of recesses that may reinforce the shelf strength. In one embodiment, one or more recesses are over the bracket(s), to further reinforce the shelf strength and/or enable securing the bracket to the shelf body 12 (e.g., where there is no gap between the recess and the fitting on the underside of the shelf body 12 for the bracket 13).

The shelf 10 may be slidably mounted on a supporting part or groove 22, as shown in FIG. 3. The supporting part or groove 22 comprises a depression in an inner wall of the freezer or cold storage chamber of the refrigerator. Accordingly, food placed on the shelf may drop or spill to a back portion of the shelf. In order to prevent the food from dropping or spilling, a spill prevention device or bump/ridge (not illustrated) may protrude or extend upwardly from the back portion (e.g., at or near the sidewall farthest from the door 30) of the main shelf body 12.

The present disclosure also provides a refrigerator including the exemplary shelf 10.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the refrigerator comprises a main body 20 that includes a storage chamber 21 having at least one open surface, a door 30 rotatably coupled to the main body 20, configured to open and close the open surface of the storage chamber 21, and the exemplary shelf 10 detachably coupled to the storage chamber 21 and configured to divide the storage chamber into a plurality of spaces.

When the refrigerator includes the shelf 10 having the cold storage material, food placed on the shelf 10 may be cooled more efficiently. Even when the refrigerator is not operating properly, cold air may be transferred to and/or thermal energy may be received or transferred from food by the shelf for a predetermined time for food preservation.

The door 30 is rotatably coupled to the main body 20 to open and close an open surface (e.g., of the storage chamber 21). A hinge 31 is mounted on at least one of an upper end and a lower end of the door 30, so that the door 30 rotates with respect to the main body 20.

The storage chamber 21 is divided into a freezer and a refrigerator (e.g., cold storage) chamber with a partition wall 23 therebetween, and an inside of each of the freezer and the refrigerator chamber is divided into a plurality of spaces by the shelf 10 to efficiently accommodate and store various types of food. As illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the shelf 10 having the cold storage material may be installed horizontally in the storage chamber 21 or laterally on the side of the storage chamber 21.

A first storage container 50 and a second storage container 60 form separate storage spaces in a lower side of the storage chamber 21. The first and second storage containers may slide open and closed disposed in the storage chamber.

Embodiments of the refrigerator including the exemplary shelf have been presented by way of example only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the inventions and can be used in various electronic appliances such as a freezer, a kimchi refrigerator, etc.

Although exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art would understand that the present disclosure may be implemented in various ways without changing the necessary features or the spirit of the present disclosure.

Therefore, it should be understood that the exemplary embodiments described above are not limitative, but only an example in all respects, the scope of the present disclosure is expressed by claims described below, not the detailed description, and it should be construed that all of changes and modifications achieved from the meanings and scope of claims and equivalent concept are included in the scope of the present disclosure.

From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that various embodiments of the present disclosure have been described herein for purposes of illustration, and that various modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the various embodiments disclosed herein are not intended to be limiting, with the true scope and spirit being indicated by the following claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A shelf comprising: a main shelf body having a space configured to store a cold storage material therein; and one or more brackets at a lower end portion of the main shelf body, configured to support the main shelf body.
 2. The shelf of claim 1, wherein the one or more brackets comprise two brackets.
 3. The shelf of claim 2, wherein the brackets are near opposite sidewalls of the main shelf body, on or in an underside of the main shelf body.
 4. The shelf of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of recesses on an upper surface of the main shelf body.
 5. The shelf of claim 4, wherein the plurality of recesses comprise an array of recesses.
 6. The shelf of claim 5, wherein at least one array of recesses is over the bracket(s).
 7. The shelf of claim 1, further comprising a spill prevention device that protrudes or extends upwardly from a rear portion of the main shelf body.
 8. The shelf of claim 1, further comprising a coupling member configured to couple or attach the main shelf body to the bracket.
 9. The shelf of claim 8, wherein the coupling member comprises a screw, an adhesive, a nut and bolt, or a flange.
 10. The shelf of claim 1, wherein the cold storage material comprises one or more glycols and water.
 11. The shelf of claim 1, wherein the main shelf body has a substantially planar shape.
 12. A refrigerator comprising: a main body having a storage chamber; a door rotatably coupled to the main body; and the shelf as claimed in claim
 1. 13. The refrigerator of claim 11, wherein the shelf is configured to slide on a supporting part.
 14. The refrigerator of claim 11, wherein the storage chamber comprises at least one open surface.
 15. The refrigerator of claim 11, wherein the cold storage material comprises one or more glycols and water.
 16. The refrigerator of claim 11, wherein the shelf is configured to divide the storage chamber into a plurality of spaces.
 17. The refrigerator of claim 11, further comprising a hinge on the door.
 18. The refrigerator of claim 11, wherein the storage chamber comprises a freezer and a refrigerator chamber.
 19. The refrigerator of claim 18, wherein the refrigerator chamber comprises a partition wall therebetween.
 20. The refrigerator of claim 11, further comprising a first storage container and a second storage container, configured to form separate storage spaces in a lower side of the storage chamber. 